And don't forget we still haven't revealed the identity of BOC - the ultimate, deranged and skronking power trio consisting 3 revered figures that have never played together before but come together especially for TUSK Festival and are sure to be a major talking point for some time afterwards (especially among those who miss the festival!).

Also, we'll have Rhys Chatham delivering an illustrated presentation on his life and career as an avant garde composer, especially his experiences with guitar trio, that has influenced just about everyone worth mentioning in leftfield rock music.

There'll also be 2 panel discussions during the weekend, one on running an independent music organisation, the other on selling your music as an artist or label. The panels will include people from Sublime Frequencies, Blackest Rainbow, The Wire, Qu Junktions, Arts Council England and more.

And we doubt there's going to be a better place to buy merchandise, rare records, cds, tapes and much more anywhere in the UK this year!

Don't forget, Newcastle is a smaller, leafier, cheaper city than London, easy to get to by air, rail or road. The festival takes place in 2 venues that are 200m apart, in an area surrounded by budget hotels and hostels, great pubs serving real beer and food, and with great local transport, as you can see in detail here

So, an unmissable festival, and weekend passes are just £30 - get yours now before its too late! (Day/sessions tickets will go on sale shortly too - the festival consists of 4 sessions over 3 days, and session tickets will be £10 each).

Finally, our friend and confidante Uncle Jim is in the process of voicing a promotional video for TUSK Fest - we hope to inflict that on you in the next couple of weeks.

Yes! That's the kind of friends we keep, so be warned - get your ticket or miss the most adventurous 3 days of music this side of, well, anywhere!